Cleaning Utensils

Descriptions and Uses

1. Besom: A broom to sweep with, "of cane, rush, birch, corn." (Johnson)
2. Birch Broom: A birch stick, one end of which was shaved to form long slender shreds.
3. Mop: "Pieces of cloth or locks of wool fixed to a long handle with which maids clean floors." (Johnson)

Pictures

1. For an Image of a Birch Floor Broom, Please See Colonial Kitchens, Their Furnishings, and Their Gardens p278 

Source: Colonial Kitchens, Their Furnishings, and Their Gardens p249-282 (See Bibliography)